Equivocal
by Kirokokori
Summary: Two cosmic entities meet in Egypt to discuss their differences.


Wow, hello. First fanfic, or really any sort of writing, I've posted online for years. Inspired by some character analysis discussion eldritchlunch on Tumblr posted, in reference to Kyubey and Nyarlathotep being very similar characters on the surface, yet very different in their fundamental motivations. I thought that to be a dynamic that'd be interesting to explore. Cleopatra is referenced as having been a Puella Magi in PMMM, and Nyarlathotep has strong ties to Egypt, so I chose that for the setting. Writing this sort of turned into a bit of a history lesson for myself, aha.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, dear reader, and feedback would be much appreciated. Like I said, I haven't shared my writing too often. c:

* * *

The air was oddly cold for the time of day, but Kyubey, lounging upon a length of stone fencing, hardly noticed. He idly watched the citizens of Alexandria bustle about, face impassive save for the occasional flicker of his eyes to follow the path of a young woman passing by. Some of them certainly had potential, but none so much as the girl with whom he'd just sealed a contract. He gave a contented flick of his tail before standing and stretching, ready to go check on the young ruler.

The air grew colder.

Pausing mid-step, Kyubey lowered his gaze back down to the street, meeting the dark eyes of a tall, expensively clothed man. He was standing only a few feet from the wall Kyubey occupied, staring directly at him. Kyubey wasn't unaccustomed to stares. He was, after all, of rather unusual appearance by human standards, but it _was_ rather odd that a human appeared to be able to see him when he had not chosen to reveal himself. The small creature tilted his head curiously. The man smiled.

"Incubator." It was a statement, not a question. The word rolled off his tongue melodically as he stepped forward, closing the gap between the two. Kyubey turned to face the man and sat back down on his haunches, interest piqued.

"Hello, sir!" He said brightly, his smile and pleasant tone as always showing nothing of the calculations being made within. Whoever this man was, he certainly wasn't a regular human. Or even a human at all. Kyubey sensed something powerful behind the thing's handsome façade, something immense and dark and capriciously bitter. It reminded him vaguely of the Witches he nurtured, though he could tell this man certainly wasn't one of his.

"And who might you be?" All innocence. The man only chuckled in response, prompting another tilt of the Incubator's catlike head. "I'm sorry, did I say something odd?"

"No, no, Incubator, of course not. I am just admiring how skilled you are at what you do." The dark thing pretending to be a man paused, considering the small creature before it with a mockery of thoughtfulness. "Though, I admit, I am surprised you have yet to identify me. This is our first _official _meeting, but I have certainly observed plenty of your work, as I am sure you have mine. I must say, I am a fan."

Kyubey stared down at the man for another moment, as the man smiled sardonically back up at him. "The Crawling Chaos." It was a statement, not a question. Nyarlathotep's smile grew. Kyubey's smile stayed as it was. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Personally? I feel as though a chat between us is long overdue. Professionally, I noticed you have taken an interest in the young queen."

"More than an interest." Kyubey tail waved lazily back and forth.

"Oh, yes, her soul as well." Nyarlathotep laughed pleasantly. "While I do find that little predicament amusing, on behalf of the will of my masters," A hint of contempt snuck into the Outer God's voice at that last word, though it was swept away with the mellifluous cadence of his continued speech, "I do have to make sure that your game will not interfere with ours."

"And what is your game, exactly?" The contract was already made, the queen's soul, as the dark god had said, taken and placed in a safer vessel to await its inevitable corruption. He wasn't concerned. Not that he was exactly capable of concern, at least as humanity would define it.

"There are grand plans set for the coming years. I have been personally overseeing them for quite some time. Have you heard of young Octavius, yet?" Nyarlathotep waved a hand when Kyubey didn't respond. "You will soon enough. I do not imagine we will conflict on this, but I did think it wise to make both parties aware of the circumstances. Our agendas, in this instance, will be mutually beneficial. There will be plenty of 'despair and suffering' for you to take advantage of." The Messenger seemed to find this humorous.

"We do not do what we do for amusement, Nyarlathotep." Kyubey's roseate eyes glowed eerily even in the daylight. His voice retained its sweetness, but there was something sharper in it now. "The Incubators work to prolong the life of the universe, something you seem not to understand. We hold no ill will towards humanity."

This provoked another laugh from the god, though this time it was much more harsh. "Are you attempting to claim some sort of 'moral high ground'? Really, Incubator, I thought you were above such meaningless nonsense. Your little crusade to stave off universe's end will not work forever. Eventually, you will no longer be able to sustain this perpetual motion machine of yours."

"I don't see why not. The rate of entropy has already been dramatically decreased, and there is nothing you can do to stop us."

Nyarlathotep shook his head. "Perhaps not, but there is nothing _you_ can do to stop us, either."

Kyubey licked a paw and began cleaning his face. "That seems to leave us at a stalemate."

"So it does."

"Well, we'll just have to see how things play out, won't we?" Finished cleaning, Kyubey stretched once more and stood back up. "Are we done here?"

Nyarlathotep laughed, good humor finding its way into his voice once again. "I suppose we are; we seem to understand each other. By all means, continue turning humanity's hopes and dreams into your curses, O Wish Granter. The damage you cause serves _me_ just fine."

The air grew warm again. Kyubey was alone. His gaze briefly remained on the empty spot the regal man had ceased occupying, before he turned around and padded away into the shadows of the nearby shops and houses.

Soon he reappeared inside a much more luxurious abode than the ones he had been idling by. A young woman was perched upon the edge of her bed, fingering a small elliptical jewel. In the shade of the room, it gave off a cheery golden glow. She looked up at the patter of Kyubey's steps upon the stone floor, and smiled.

"Did you truly grant my wish?"

"Yes." Kyubey's face betrayed nothing as he hopped up and settled down on her lap. There was nothing to betray. "There will be peace for your people, soon enough. It will take a little time, but it's already in motion."

She let out a sigh and ran her hand gently across Kyubey's white fur. "Thank you."

Kyubey said nothing, rolling onto his back to allow her to pet his belly. There was plenty of reason to be thankful for his actions, but he knew the queen wouldn't understand. Humans seldom did, too caught up in their emotions. Still, there would be peace, Pax Romana, even if the Puella Magi holding him had to bare the brunt of the backlash created by her wish. He didn't tell her this, of course, but Kyubey wasn't one to lie.

She would find out when it came to be the time, or if she really asked. But until then, millennia of experience had taught Kyubey that remaining silent on the specifics made it much easier to convince others to cooperate, be they human or god.


End file.
